Consistency builds stronger brands, suggests System1 and IPA study

Using data from the IPA’s effectiveness database, the System1 study analysed brands across channels for 13 ‘creative consistency’ features that impacted advertising effectiveness during the five-year period analysed.

The features included: consistent creative foundations such as brand positioning and creative idea; a culture of consistency including reusing creative assets; and consistent execution of brand assets, tone of voice and brand slogan.

The research found that a brand metric combining these features, the ‘creative consistency score’, is linked to creative quality, brand strength, and brand and business effects. The findings are derived from System1’s platform (which tests consumers’ emotional responses to advertising to predict short- and long-term brand-building potential), brand effects data from the IPA and YouGov, and business effects reported from the IPA Effectiveness Databank, a collection of around 1,500 awards entries.

According to the study, the most ‘creatively consistent’ brands averaged a System1 star rating of 3.3, predicting ‘good’ long-term brand-building potential, compared with 2.8 stars for ‘somewhat consistent’ brands and 2.6 stars for the least consistent brands.

In other findings, the top 20% of the most consistent brands achieved 28% more ‘very large business effects’, which could include sales value gain, profit gain and market share gain.

Additionally, brands that maintain the same creative agency relationship within a five-year period were found to produce higher creative quality and grow their advertising distinctiveness, according to the study.

Andrew Tindall, senior vice-president, global partnerships, System1, said: “This study with data from the IPA shows that brands win big on fame building, profit gain, market share gain and more when they foster a culture that supports creativity and consistency.

“In practice, this can be accomplished through longer tenures with creative agencies, a commitment to continually leverage distinctive assets within multi-year, cross-channel campaigns and the understanding that ads should be given the time to wear in with consumers.”

Pretty Nimoh, project lead, IPA Databank, said: “Agencies and brands can now be more confident that maintaining consistency in brand positioning and creative style can compound the effects of their campaigns.”